Veterans

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope y’all have had a great week so far. Today will be very emotional, so buckle up and let us dive right in.

So, Christmas is right around the corner, and unfortunately it is an incredibly difficult time of the year for Veterans, more so than most other times of the year. We are going to dive a little deeper into this.

This time of year in particular, we wind up being a bit more reclusive than usual, constantly stuck in our minds and thoughts, overwhelmed with the darkness. Thinking about things constantly, feeling bad for any happiness we experience, not thinking that we deserve to feel that way. Thinking about our brothers and sisters who are not here with us any more, that is one of the biggest thoughts that takes precedence in our mind, and all the “experts” put titles on it, but that doesn’t help us at the end of the day, because no matter what the “experts” call it or describe it as, within us it takes a whole other life of it’s own. Sometimes we even try and put blame on ourselves, and hold onto that, for something that we had no control over, our minds saying things like “why couldn’t it have been me instead of them?”

We think about all the times we spent away from our families and loved ones during our service, while they were enjoying the happiness, the holidays, and thinking about us, we were far away from them, dealing with all sorts of different things, pushing the loneliness deep down because we didn’t have time to deal with that. No matter how far away we were from them, whether the same state, different state, or a completely different continent, we were surrounded by our new family, trying to make each holiday the best it could. I remember spending Christmas Day in Iraq, couldn’t much think about the holidays and missing family when we had mortars and rockets to worry about every hour of every day. I remember each holiday the dining facilities would try and do something special, whether it was a special cake, butter sculpture, or even sometimes dressing up for the holiday, to try and bring joy to everyone who walked through the doors, to try and bring a little bit of home to everyone. Yes, I was the Easter Bunny for Easter, still have a picture or 2, MAYBE I will share them sometime (unfortunately almost all of my deployment pictures were on an old laptop that took a crap on me and were unrecoverable, believe me I tried).

So what I am trying to say to my fellow Veterans out there reading this, don’t feel bad for having fun during the holidays, and don’t let the dark thoughts make you enjoy the holidays any less. Yes, I know it is easier said than done. To all of our civilian peers out here reading this, just let us know you are here for us if we need someone, be caring, DON’T BE PUSHY, just go with the flow. Enjoy the time you have with those you care about, whether it is your family, friends, or your fellow Veteran brothers and sisters, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and need to live each moment like it is our last. Do something good for someone, and spread some cheer, even when you are in your dark place. If you need someone to talk to, go have any kind of drink with, or a shoulder, I am always here for you.

Alright I am going to end the blog for the day. I very much look forward to talking with you again tomorrow. As always, I love every one of y’all, especially my fellow Vets, if ANY of my fellow Vets need someone to talk to, please reach out to me, I am ALWAYS here for you.

IF YOU ARE A VETERAN WHO NEEDS HELP, YOU ARE NOT ALONE – YOU ARE LOVED – YOU ARE NEEDED!

CALL – 988 – OPTION 1

TEXT – 838255

CALL – 800-799-4889

CALL – 844-889-5610

GO TO – WWW.VETERANSCRISISLINE.NET

GO TO – WWW.STOPSOLDIERSUICIDE.ORG/GET-HELP